East of Weird: A Reverse Falls Story
by Lifeguard170
Summary: Gideon and Pacifica haven't spoken in almost ten years. What happens when Pacifica comes down to the small place of Gravity Falls for the entire season? Well mayhem of course, also secrets, romance, lies. After all, they have a whole summer to figure out the deal between the Pines family and the Gleefuls. The two cousins are sure to have an adventure no matter where they turn.
1. East of Weird

Hi there everyone. I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything, so let me just apologize to people that were waiting for something. I honestly didn't have anything else to write about. Nothing was really that interesting and I was just moving on with my life. The reason I am back is I decided to start up writing again! My boyfriend of two years dumbed me and this was all I could think of to move on, which isn't a bad thing trust me! This is been fun I honestly forgot what it was like to create something, so I am excited to see how you guys feel! I have watched Gravity Falls before and instantly loved the show, then I started reading all about Reverse Falls and instantly fell in love with how creative everyone go about the life of these characters from a different persecutive. So thats my story. I have outlined my entire story line for this set up, so it will be completed. I already am finishing up chapter two so be on the look out! I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

 _Today is the big day!_ Pacifica thought to herself as she stared out the window of the moving bus.

 _I am gonna finally meet Gideon after 10 years! I hope he remembers me._ Pacifica tried to think back to the last time she saw her baby cousin. It was either he 8th birthday party at her 9th, either way, she recalls it ending in tears when Uncle Bud announced that he and Gideon were moving to Gravity Falls, Oregon to start a new life after the divorce of Gideon's mom. She begged her mom to talk to her brother but she said that it was final. Now here she was going to stay with him for a whole summer after she pleaded with her mom for a whole month, even told her she would stop collecting 80's vinyl so she could save up for a bus ticket. The day her mother established that she could go was the happiest day of her life, and she just turned 19 a week ago.

 _I hope this isn't gonna be to weird between us...we haven't spoken in so long. What if he has new friends, or worse no friends? That's okay I can make us new friends! I'll make everyone sweaters and then we'll have an_ 80's _dance party and -_ Pacifica was thrown out of her thoughts when the bus came to a sudden halt. She looked out the window and saw that they had finally arrived at her destination. Pacifica practically leaped out her seat and off the bus, not caring that she probably knocked over five people on the way out. Once she was off the bus she scanned the crowd for a speck of white hair. After 5 minutes of rocking back and forth on her feet, she finally spotted her cousin trying to squish his way through the crowd.

"Gideon!" The blonde yelled as she saw his face come into view. She raced towards him with open arms and wrapped him in a big bear hug.

"Pacifica," Gideon choked out, "you're squeezing me a little too tight."

"Oh sorry," she said putting him back on the ground and tucked her arms behind her back, "I was just really excited to see you. It's been so long!"

"Yeah, 10 whole years huh?"

"I know! You've grown!"

"Hah Pacifica," Gideon said with forced laughter, "and you are still wearing sweaters in 90-degree heat."

"What," Pacifica said in defense, "sweaters are always comfy." Gideon laughed, this time for real, and grabbed Pacifica's bag off the ground.

"Come on," he said turning around, "my dad's waiting outside for us" Pacifica smiled and followed right behind Gideon to a blue Chevy car outside.

"Hi Uncle Bud," she said with a wave as his face came into view.

"Well hello Pacifica!" he said with a huge smile, "my you have grown young lady. You're almost as tall as your mother the last time I saw her." Pacifica nodded her head and crawled into the back seat of the car as Gideon slammed the trunk and came in on the other side.

"All right now? Everyone got their seatbelts on?" Bud asked.

"Yup," said the cousins together.

"Then let's get going!"

After thirty minutes of driving and listening to nothing but the radio, they group finally pulled up the house. Pacifica got her things out of the trunk and followed Gideon to her new room for the rest of the summer. It was kind of dull and boring, but nothing she couldn't fix with a bedazzler and some glitter glue. After she was all settled in she went to Gideon's room to ask if they could do something before dinner.

"Um we can go to the pool?" he suggested.

"Gideon it's almost 6," she said, "the pools closed by know."

"What about going downtown?"

"I don't know it's gonna be dark when we have to walk home."

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I have never been here before," Pacifica said with a sigh. Gideon let out a sigh too. It was frustrating to be close to someone yet still feel like strangers. "Let's just go downtown I guess."

"Great," Gideon said, "I know a shortcut through the woods!" Pacifica and Gideon grabbed their coats and headed out the back door into the woods. As soon as they were outside, Pacifica was kind of regretting the decision of this shortcut.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course I do," Gideon said, "I've lived here for 10 years! I know what I'm doing." They walked deeper into the forest as their shadows began to grow. "It's just a left at this boulder right...here."

"Um Gideon," Pacifica said, "there is no boulder."

"That's impossible," Gideon said stunned, "I was here last week and there was a boulder here! Where did it go?"

"Maybe it got up and walked away?" Pacifica asked trying to add to humor to the mix. Gideon was not having it. Instead of laughing he started to pace back and forth and mumble to himself. "You could have taken a wrong turn back there."

"I didn't," he said in defense, "I swear I followed my footsteps exactly like I did last week. So unless someone moved it, which doesn't make any sense-" something in the ground caught Gideon's eyes as he was pacing where the boulder used to be. Pacifica heard that he stopped talking, and followed his eyesight to a piece of leather sticking out of the ground.

"What is that?" she asked as he walked forward.

"I'm not sure," Gideon answered as he stuck his hand on top of the dirt covering the item and began to dig around it. He pulled out the mysterious article and realized he just dug up a really old looking book. It had a gold six-finger hand on the front with the number three drawn inside of it.

"Well," Pacifica said appearing next to him, "open it!" Gideon opened up to the first page in the book.

"Property of...blank," he read. The name had been torn out of the book. He continued to flip the pages until he came across one with blue ink scribbles on it and big letters that said 'TRUST NO ONE'.

"Huh. That's not at all omnibus or anything," Pacifica said as she took the book from him and continued to flip pages. "Uncle Bud is gonna flip when he sees this."

"I don't think we should tell him," Gideon said, taking the book back from Pacifica, "at least not yet anyway."

"Comeon Gideon you're really not gonna show your dad this?"

"It says right there 'Trust no one'. So maybe we shouldn't"

"If you're not gonna tell him I will" Pacifica said with a huff as she turned away from him and started walking in the direction they came from.

"Pacifica are you insane?" Gideon asked as he watched her walk away, "you don't even know where you're going." Pacifica pretended not to hear him as she walked further into the woods on her own. Gideon sighed and closed the book as he realized he should probably follow her to check if she makes it back. Not even three steps away from the spot he was in he heard rustling in the bushes. Gideon stopped in his tracks and turned towards the sound. "Pacifica? This isn't funny." He began to close in on the sound and as soon as he was about to touch the bush the noise stopped. The whole forest was quiet, not even the crickets were making noise anymore. Gideon decided the wait was killing him, so with one quick breath he stuck his hand in the bush and pushed the leaves apart.

Pacifica ventured further into the woods still not allowing herself to look back and realize she was going the wrong way. After 20 minutes her feet were killing her and she deiced she would sit down for a while. She sat on the cold grass and just listened to the sounds of nature surrounding her. The owls hooting, crickets chirping, and a goat eating her sweater…

"Hey! Don't do that!" She yelled at the goat as it started to chew on her right sleeve. "No you can't eat my sweater. Now spit it out!"

She gave her arm a quick yank out of its mouth and the goat stepped back with a piece of fabric, still chewing.

"How dare you!" The goat decided it was time to go and started walking away from her, with the fabric still it his mouth.

"You get back here with that so I can sew it back on!" Pacifica yelled out to the creature, but it did not listen to her and kept walking away from her. Pacifica got up from her spot on the ground and followed the goat with angry footsteps. She maybe followed it for 30 feet until she lost sight of the goat behind some trees. Except one of those trees was not like the other. It was completely made of wood with no leaves on it at all. In fact it had faces of animals where the leaves should have been growing.

"What's a totem pole doing all the way out here?" Pacifica asked herself out loud. When she looked to where the eagle wing on the totem was pointing she saw it was leading her to, what looked like an abandoned gift shop, a tourist trap. Pacifica jumped up the broken steps onto the porch and stepped over the fallen door. Inside it was dingy and dusty with no light, but the moonlight coming in through the cracked ceiling. The only sound was the floorboards creaking underneath her feet as she explored the empty building.

 _Creak. Creak. Creak. CRACK!_

Pacifica looked down at her feet and discovered she had stepped glass of an old photo frame. She bent down and scoped the picture up into her hands and saw that it was a photograph of Uncle Bud.

"What is this doing here?" Pacifica asked herself. She took the picture out of the frame in order to examine it some more and saw that Uncle Bud had his arm around two other people, but unfortunately there faces were burnt off, like someone intentionally set a match to _just_ those two faces in order to hide their identity.

"This has got to mean something," she thought out loud, "but what? Did Uncle Bud do this to the picture?" Before she could come up with an answer, Pacifica was ripped from her thoughts by a boyish scream in the distance.

"Gideon!" Pacifica yelled as she dropped the picture and ran out back into the forest. The picture from her hand slowly drifting to the floor to be forgot again.

"LET ME GO YOU CRAZY THINGS!" Gideon yelled as he struggled against the ropes tying his body to the ground.

"Now please quit struggling you making this awkward for the both of us," said the creature, "Schmebulock will you please try a little harder to hold her down!"

"For the last time, I am a boy!"

"Are you sure? Because no boy puts that much jell in their hair."

"Pacifica! Where are you!"

As if on cue a bright, fluffy, blonde headed girl came leaping out of the forest and landed right in front of the mess that was happening.

"Gideon! Are you okay… Oh my god!" Pacifica screamed as she tried to register what was going on, "are those gnomes?"

"Yes they are!" shouted Gideon, "and they're trying to make me their queen!"

"What?"

"She's not in danger, she's just going to marry all one thousand of us and become our gnome queen for all eternity," replied the Gnome like the whole that was going on was completely normal.

"She? Never mind I'm just gonna start punching you," Pacifica said while shaking her head. She grabbed the journal that was left on the ground and began waking the gnomes one by one to try and create a pathway to her cousin. When she reached Gideon she pulled up the ropes tying him down, took a hold of his hand and they both ran down the path she came from.

"Oh my god Pacifica," Gideon said as they ran, "thank you so much I did not want to marry today." Pacifica opened her mouth to reply when she got interrupted by a groaning from the direction they ran from.

"Don't thank me yet," she said as she took a sharp left and hurried to the totem pole in the distance.

"What are they doing?" Gideon questioned as he looked back in fear of the noises that were coming from behind. Pacifica pulled him into a garden shed that was closed by and told him to stop asking questions while she peeked around the corner.

"Do you see anything?" asked Gideon as he shuffled out from behind her.

"I don't know," Pacifica replied, "maybe we lost them."

 _CRASH_

"Or maybe not."

"Pacifica what do we do!"

"Um...find something in the garden shed that's useful. There has to be a weapon around here somewhere."

"I found this shovel!"

"And I found a leaf blower with ¼ tank of gas left"

"So we're doomed?"

"Not yet Cuz, follow me lead," Pacifica said as she slowly opened the door. They ducked behind a book and peeked between the branches to see a giant gnome monster that was… made out of other gnomes?

"Since when can they do that?" Gideon asked in shock.

"On the count of three go for the legs," Pacifica said, ignoring his question.

"What! No way! Not happening," he said, "how about I give you the shovel and you give me the leaf blower."

"Stop questioning me and do as I say!"

"Paz are you crazy!"

"You… you remembered," Pacifica said in shock to her old nickname being used.

"What?" Gideon said confused, "your old nickname? Of course I remembered, I came up with it on your 3rd birthday."

"Why haven't you been using it?"

"Because I thought you'd think it was to babyish," Gideon said with a small blush on his face, "you're almost 20 Paz, I didn't want you to think I was uncool. We have not seen each other in ten years."

"Gideon I would never think that. I thought you stopped calling me it because you grew out of it."

"This is a sweet moment we are having and I would love to rekindle are cousin bonding, but I think the monster heard us," Gideon pointed up at the beast as it stopped in its track and looked straight at the bush they were hiding in.

"Okay," Pacifica said, "ready? 1… 2… 3!" Gideon jumped out of the bush and whacked the left leg of the monster casing it to tumble forward.

"Come on guys! Get it together!" yelled the leader of the group. They scrambled together and started to rebuild the leg.

"Paz," Gideon said, "if your gonna do your thing do it now please!" Pacifica nodded her head at Gideon and ran full speed at the monster. She jumped on top of their little hats until she was able to kick herself to the top of the leader. She turned the leaf blower on suck and pointed it right at his face.

"This is for messing with my cousin!" she shouted as she hit the start button and sucked the little guy in. Then she backed flipped of the beast and landed down in front of it, pointing their leader straight at the monster.

"And this for calling me a girl!" Gideon yelled as he switched the switch to blow and it shot the little guy out into the heart of the creature, causing all of them to fall.

"Who's giving orders I need orders!" yelled one of the Gnomes.

"Schmebulock."

"Get out of here you freaks," Pacifica yelled as she started to blow them away back into the woods. The scrambled over rocks and roots until there wasn't a single one of them left.

"Well that was the weirdest thing I have ever done," Gideon said as he walked over to Pacifica.

"You said it Cuz," she replied. Pacifica put down the leaf blower and grabbed Gideon's hand.

"Let's go home Gideon."

"Sure thing Paz."

"Are you gonna tell Uncle Bud about the book?"

"Honestly after the day we had. I don't even know if he would believe us."

"Well I believe us."

"Me to."

They walked in silence back to the house, by the time they got back there the sun was already starting to peek up through the trees and a rooster started crowing somewhere. Gideon opened the back door for them and they walked inside expecting to get chewed out by Bud for not coming home. Fortunately he was still asleep on the chair in front of the TV, and neither or the cousins thought it would be best to wake him. Pacifica and Gideon walked back to their rooms and flopped down on each of their beds as soon as they got in there.

"I don't even know where to begin," Pacifica said as she got under the covers. She looked over at Gideon and saw him flipping through the pages of the journal. She yawned and sat up to ask him what he was doing.

"Look," he said showing her a page he stopped out. On it was a picture of a cute little gnome with a big white beard, "Gnomes are tree-dwelling creatures of Gravity Falls. Weakness: Unknown"

"Well that's a lie," Pacifica said with another yawn, "clearly it's leaf blowers and the occasional shovel." Gideon laughed at her comment while he picked up a pen and scribbled it in the book.

"There now it tells the truth," he said showing it to Pacifica, but she was already asleep snoring away. Gideon sighed to himself and closed the book before putting it under his pillow and switching off the light.

"Goodnight Paz," he said to silence. Although the book said 'Trust No One' Gideon was sure, as he drifted off to sleep, that did not apply to Gnome battling cousins in 80's sweaters and high pony tails.


	2. Mystery Tent

"Do we have to go outside today it's like 1,000 degrees," groaned Pacifica as she was walking down the stairs to breakfast. Once she was in the kitchen she saw her cousin and his dad sitting at the table already digging into their pancakes.

"Hey! Save some for me!"

"I would if you got up faster Paz," Gideon said as we scarfed down the pancakes.

"What are you talking about? It's only," Pacifica looked and pointed at the clock in the kitchen, "noon thirty."

"Paz, that's not even a real-time!"

"Whatever," she said as she pulled out her chair to take a seat, "what's the plan for today Cuz?"

"Um the museum downtown just opened," Gideon said while scrunching his face trying to think of something, "or maybe we can see if the library got any new books?"

"BORING," Pacifica yelled, "I came here to have fun! It's our first summer as adults! We need something good, something new and interesting like…" she picked up the newspaper on the table and turned it so Gideon and Bud could see the back page, "a visit to the Mystery Tent!" Bud spit out his coffee and Gideon almost choked on his pancake when she said that.

"That's what you want to do?" Gideon asked after catching his breath, "I would hardly call that 'fun'."

"I agree with Gideon," Bud said wiping his chin from the spilled coffee, "now you can have plenty of fun at the library and there is no way you need to see some conniving, no good, lying ' _Mystery Family'_."

"Why does it sound like you don't like them?" Pacifica asked.

"Let's just say that Stan Pines is not someone to mess around with."

"And neither is his great niece and nephew," Gideon added.

Pacifica sighed and flipped through the paper a little more until her eyes fell onto something.

"Well I guess we'll miss the reveal of their new attraction," she said.

Gideon and Bud looked up at her intrigued,

"What do you mean?"

"It says right here "The Mystery Twins shall reveal a new attraction," she said and pointed the article.

"No matter what they are selling, you're still not gonna pay full price to see some no good, rotten…"

"Look there are coupons!"

"Get in the car!"

The Gleefuls pulled up to a blue tent with a yellow triangle on the top. Every single seat was almost full. There was a bunch of people from town, people that Bud talked to and that Gideon said hi to. It seems like everyone knew each other.

"Gideon is everyone from town here?" Pacifica asked as they sat down in their seat.

"I guess so. It wouldn't be a Pines show unless everyone from town came to show their love," he said while crossing his arms in annoyance. Pacifica was about to ask why he was so quick to dismiss them when the lights start to dim and music begins to play. Smoke began to flow throughout the tent and with a flash of lights, two bodies appear on stage. When the smoke cleared, on stage was two 20 something twins in matching blue outfits and capes.

"Welcome to the Mystery Tent!" yelled the girl as she threw her hands up for dramatic effect.

"My sister and I are all glad you could make it," said the boy. The minute he spoke Pacifica felt something. His voice was deep and, dare she say it, hot. His eyes, brown and cold, were scanning all over the crowd until they landed on her. He gave a small smile,

"Let's start the show!" They said together.

The show was amazing! It was insane the stuff they did. They guessed names and made one another float off the ground! The new attraction was creating animals. All of it was wonderful, out of this air but of course, Pacifica had to keep that to herself.

"Can you believe that bogus!" Gideon said as they got up from their seats.

"Are you kidding me," Pacifica said, "they levitated each other! I mean how can you explain that?"

"I'll tell you," Gideon said as he pulled out the journal from his coat pocket and flipped through the pages trying to find an answer. Unbeknownst to him, there were two people also curious about those pages.

"Do you see that Dipper?" Mabel asked as she pointed over to the Gleefuls. Dipper turned around and followed Mabel's hand. His eyes fell upon Gideon and he was about to turn away when he caught sight of the blonde girl next to him. She was dressed in some bright sweater with squiggles all over it. She was looking intently at the book then broke out into a giggle at a certain page.

"What am I looking at?" Dipper asked unamused.

"The book! They have the first book," Mabel said, "we have to go get out hands on it." Mable grabbed Dippers hand and dragged them over to the two cousins. As soon as Gideon heard the click of Mabel's heels he snapped the book closed and put it back in his jacket. Pacifica looked up to see what had startled her cousin and meet the brown eyes of the boy on stage. It was like everything melted away and it was just the two of them, alone in the world. She didn't even register that the girl was talking to both of them until she pulled her brother in closer to her and broke their eye contact.

"It's so good to see you again Gideon," Mabel said with love stuck cheer, "when was the last time I saw you? School?"

"I don't know Mabel maybe the police station when they arrested you for sleeping in the tree outside my window?" Gideon said with a straight face.

"What?" Pacifica said horrified.

"Come on Gid that was like 4 years ago I've changed," Mabel said, "so who's your friend?" You could feel the mood change immediately as her eyes landed on the blonde.

"None of your…" Gideon started to say until his cousin caught him off.

"Hi I'm Pacifica Northwest, Gideon's cousin," she said as she held out her hand to be shaken but Mabel dismissed it. Pacifica started to reel her hand back in until someone reached out and grabbed it. She looked up in shock to see the boy hand took her hand and kissed it like a knight would a princess.

"Nice to meet you," the boy said as he let go of her hand, "my names Dipper." Pacifica took her hand and held it to her heart to try and calm it. _Calm down Pacifica your acting like a teenager in love! He was just being nice!_ She told herself, but her body defined her as she felt her face going hot and her knees going weak. _Get it together!_ Mabel looked at her like she just grew a second head before turning back to Gideon.

"So I couldn't help but notice that you were reading a very interesting book and I would like to see it," she said while reaching for Gideon's coat. Pacifica, after shaking out of her trance, immediately stepped into protective mode, just like when she and Gideon were kids and moved in front of him.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Pacifica said as she crossed her arms, "it's a family thing." Mabel blinked her eyes trying to adjust to the fact that someone stood in the way of something she wanted.

"Excuse me?" Mabel said confused, "just what on Earth do you think you're doing?"

"Stopping you from stealing."

"I wasn't…"

"You reached out your hand to take something that wasn't yours. So in the eyes of the law that's is stealing."

"Well, everything is legal when the cops aren't around you blonde bimbo."

"What kind of logic is that?

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand. Anyone who chooses to dress like that must need some help in their life."

"Mabel that's enough," Dipper said.

"Paz, I think we should go," Gideon said while grabbing Pacifica's shoulder and steering her towards the exit.

"Mabel is an old lady name by the way!" Pacifica shouted on the way out.

"Paz!"

"What? I like having the last word," she said as she climbed into the car.

 _CRASH_

"Dammit!" Mabel yelled after the sound of a floating vase hitting the wall. "I want that book!"

"Throwing a tantrum is not going to help," Dipper sighed as he laid on his bed.

"Oh shut up it's not like you're doing anything that's going to help either."

"There's nothing we can do right now just let it go and move on."

"No way not when I know exactly where this book is." Mabel began pacing the floor mumbling to herself coming up with 20 plans and trying to narrow it down. As she was pacing things around the room began to glow and levitate one by one until almost everything in the room was floating. Finally, she stopped and gravity took over again until all was back on the ground.

"I got it! She want's family I'll give her family."

"You're going to marry the Gideon?"

"No, you idiot. Obviously, I can't get too close to him not until this whole tree thing passes, but there is someone _you_ can get close to." Dipper cracked an eye open and raised an eyebrow at his sister's statement.

"Take Atlantica on a date," Mabel said as she walked in front of Dipper's bed.

"It's Pacifica and no."

"Dipper, please! All you have to do is go on one date with her. Butter her up and then ask to see the book! It's obvious she likes you."

"Yeah no," Dipper said closing his eyes again.

"Dipper this isn't an argument," Mabel said, "take her out, win her over, get the book." Dipper turned over in his bed to annoy his sister even more.

"Dipper does it or I am telling Gruncle Stan that you chopped off wax figure Stan head and melted it in the oven."

"It was by accident that thing was starting to creep me out!" Dipper yelled in defense.

"Tomorrow night," was all Mabel said in return as she left the room and headed downstairs. Dipper signed once more and followed after her to make his way down to dinner.

After pulling into the Gleeful house and settling into the living room the cousins decide to watch TV and relax until Bud finished dinner. While the TV was playing some weird old TV show Pacifica let her mind wander to Dipper. He seemed really cold when she was standing near him, figurative and literally speaking. The only time he really showed any emotion was on stage, but she knew that it was all an act, something that he put up with during the day. Other than that Dipper was a wall, just standing behind his sister and stepping in only to calm her down. She looked over to see Gideon flipping through the pages of that book again still trying to find something that would explain what those twins did.

"Find anything?" Pacifica asked.

"Not yet," he said in defeat, "but I did find other magical items that could be used."

"Like what?"

"Like truth teeth, glowing eyes, and magical crystals, but none of it explains what they do. Maybe it's in the other book."

"The other book? Oh, right we have book 3."

"I think there is a map in the back of the book," Gideon said as he flipped to the last page, "here it is. Looks like it's somewhere in the woods were the first book was found. We can go look tomorrow." Gideon got up from his spot and went to put the book in his backpack. After all that happened today he was ready to sleep forever.

 _Knock Knock_

"Who could that be at 10 in the morning?" Pacifica said as she looked up at the TV. She listed the knocking one more time before she realized that they were not going to leave her alone. She stood up and walked to the front door where she looked into the little peephole to see who was bothering her on a Saturday evening. When Pacifica peeked through, she was surprised to be meet with boy wonder himself, Dipper, dressed in all his blue and black get up. _What on Earth is he doing here?_ She thought to herself as she took a step back and opened up the door.

"What are Earth are you doing here?" She said, repeating her question but this time out loud. Dipper signed nonchalant like it was obvious what he was doing here and handed her a single rose.

"Pacifica Elise Northwest will you-" Dipper off until she stopped him.

"How do you know my middle name?"

"Not important," Dipper said with a shake of his head, "Pacifica will you-"

"I think it's important considering we don't know each other."

"Look the internet okay. Now stop interrupting," Dipper said frustrated, "will you please-"

"Mm, that's a lie I don't put my middle name on any of my social media accounts. So try again."

"My god is this really important I am trying to ask you something."

"Answer the question Boy Wonder." Dipper huffed in anger at that nickname and shoved the rose into Pacifica's face.

"Mable did some research," he said as he ran his now empty hands through his hair, "now will you please go out on a date with me." Pacifica could only stare at him and blink as she tried to register what was happening.

"What? A date? With you?" Pacifica said surprised.

"Yes. Who else would it be," Dipper said crossing his arms in annoyance Pacifica stared at him, blinked twice and closed the door in his face. _This must be a dream._ She thought to herself. _One crazy, messed up, weird as hell, dream._ She looked at the rose in her hand and slowly brought her finger up to touch the torn on it. When she was meet with a small pain and the sight of crimson she realized that this was indeed reality. Immediately she swung the door back open and saw a very confused and angry Dipper still standing on her porch. "You have some nerve closing the door in my face Ms. Northwest," he started off, "do you know who you're talking to and why-"

"I'll go out with you," she said cutting him off. Dipper shut up immediately and gawked at her answer.

"You...you will?" He replied, shocked as ever. He thought he was going to have to blackmail her for an answer, to be honest.

"Yeah let's go downtown to the arcade at 6, maybe get something to eat Lazy Susan's dinner."

"Um… yeah sure," he said feeling his face grow a little hot, "I'll meet you there." Pacifica smiled at him and then closed the door once more in his face before melting down to the floor. _OMG! I can't believe I did that! Did he actually blush a little or am I just going insane? Shit! I'm going on a date! I need an outfit!_ Pacifica got up from the floor and dashed up the stairs to her room. She saw Gideon lying on his bed with his headphones in and immediately froze at the doorway. _Crap, I forgot Gideon was home. Hopefully, he won't question me trying on twenty different sweaters, boys are stupid like that_. She walked to her side of the room and casually shifted through her closet, or at least that's what she thought she looked like.

"Hey, Paz are you okay?" Gideon asked her as she took out his headphones.

"Of course why would you ask that?" She replied.

"Well your face is read and you're hunched over your closet like it's buried treasure you're trying to hide." Pacifica sighed and turned to face Gideon so he could see the rose she had in her hand.

"Time to spill the beans," she said as she kicked a can of empty beans next to her foot, "I have a date tonight."

"Really?" Gideon asked sitting up straight in his bed, "with who?"

"...Dipper...Pines….Dipper Pines."

"I am sorry what? I must have blacked out a moment ago. Did you say you were going on a date with Dipper Pines?"

"Yes."

"The Dipper Pines from the show. My sworn enemy. The man you meet less than 24 hours ago."

"...yes?"

"Paz are you insane!" Gideon yelled as he jumped up from his sitting position, "why on Earth do you think this is a good idea! You don't know him like I do! That whole family is crazy!"

"Listen Gideon just hear me out," Pacifica pleaded.

"No way Paz there is nothing you can say that will make me be okay with this," Gideon finished as he started to walk towards the door.

"I'm doing this to find the other journals," Pacifica said causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

"What?"

"Look you said we only have Journal 3 right? Well, I started to think last night why Mabel was pushing so hard to see our journal and then it hit me."

"They must have a journal too."

"Exactly! It makes sense why she wanted it so bad in the first place. They clearly know about them."

"Okay so let's say they do have a journal," Gideon said, "how are you going on a date with Dipper Pines going to get it."

"...I don't know," Pacifica said defeated, "I honestly didn't think this would happen so soon."

"You know he's just doing this to get _our_ journal right?"

"Duh! I may be blonde but I'm not an idiot."

"Just a blonde with no plan to take a book from a psychopath and his family."

"Look I go on the date, get to know him maybe when he's trying to get the book from me he slips up and reveals something."

"I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Just trust me okay," Pacifica said shoving him out of the room, "what is the worst that could happen." She closed the door in Gideon's face before she had time to hear his answer.

6'oclock on the dot there was a young man dressed in blue and black outside a building with flashing lights and corny music. He tapped his foot impatiently folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against the building. 6:10 still no sign of his date. In about another ten minutes he is going to call it quits and just take the wrath of his twin sister when he hears the sound of shoes running towards him. He looks up and sees Pacifica running down the street wearing an 80's blue sweater and jeans with a backpack hanging from her shoulder. She stops in front of Dipper and puts her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.

"Sorry...I'm….late….Gideon….wax figure….Larry King…." she said out of breath. Dipper just stared at her with a look of confusion on his face.

"Are you on drugs?" he finally asked after a moment of silence. Instead of a snappy response, as he was expecting, Pacifica let out a laugh that caught him off guard.

"No," she said after a minute of laughing, "but maybe if I was that would have all made sense." After she finally caught her breath she grabbed Dippers hand in hers and pushed open the door to the arcade, not even noticing the tiny blush that came about to his cheeks as they made their way in.

"How are you so good at this game?" Dipper asked as he watched her through ping-pong balls into a fishbowl over and over again. Pacifica just laughed and shrugged her shoulders as she made another bullseye.

"I have been throwing things since the day I was born," she said, "19 years of practice." Dipper watched the score rack up until it hit an all-time high. "New high score! Wow! Dipper did you see that!"

"Congrats miss," said the arcade employee as he walked over to the two, "a new high score means you get to choose a prize off the top shelf," Pacifica screamed with excitement then grabbed Dippers hand to drag him over to the prizes.

"Let's see…" she said pressing her face against the class, "I will choose the…pig!" Dipper jumped at the rise in volume and looked at where she was pointing. On the top shelf was a big stuffed pig the almost the same height as him, and he was at least 6 feet tall.

"You're almost 20 and you chose to get a stuffed pig?" he questioned.

"You are 20 and you chose to wear a cape on stage," she replied with a smirk.

"Hey chicks dig the cape," he said.

"Suuure they do," Pacifica replied reaching out to take the pig off the shelf, "so cute!" The duo decided it was time to leave after Pacifica claimed her prize. They headed out into the warm summer night air and walked over to Lazy Susan's dinner. Dipper was actually surprised at the amount of fun he was having with Pacifica, he even forgot all about the mission until he was walking Pacifica home and caught a glimpse of the book in her backpack. _Shit!_ Dipper thought to himself _how am I going to get the book out of her backpack without being noticed… I guess I could kiss her? Reach for it when she closes her eyes?_

He totally forgot that Pacifica was talking until she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Dipper you alright?" she questioned.

"Yeah um I was just thinking," he replied.

"Oh well, I was just saying that I could walk from here. That way you don't run into Gideon or Uncle Bud."

"Oh yeah that's for the best," Dipper said rubbing his hands behind his neck. _Do it now idiot or miss your chance._ "Pacifica…"

"Yeah?" Pacifica said as she looked up into Dippers eyes. It was like she was under a spell when she gazed into them. _OMG is he going to do what I think he is going to do!_ She thought. _OMG yes! I mean no, this can't happen now._ However, her body betrayed her and she found herself slowly leaning into him and closing her eyes. Everything was perfect until Pacifica heard a car horn in the distance. Her eyes shot open and she threw the stuffed pig into Dipper causing him to catch it in the face and fall to the ground. He looked up and saw Pacifica has already run halfway down the street. Dipper sighed and picked up the forgotten pig off the ground. He couldn't help but laugh a bit about the whole situation that he had found himself in. He looked at the pig with its button eyes and sighed once more,

"Mabel is not going to happy that I failed," he said to the lifeless being. A thought popped into his head and he whispered something upon the stuffed animal. Dipper's eyes and the amulet became an electric blue color, the air around him began to stir until finally, everything stopped like a switch. In his hands was a big o fat pig that was squirming around,

"She will be happy that I brought you home," he said to the pig, "Mabel loves pigs believe or not and you make such a cute apology gift." Dipper pets the pig on its head and turned around to walk home.

"You failed," Mabel said sitting in her chair next to the fireplace.

"Sorry Mabel," was all Dipper could say, "but I got you an apology gift."

"Dipper nothing on Earth can make me forgive you're - OMG IS THAT A PIG!"

"Yup."

"All is forgiven we'll come up with a new plan! NOW GIVE ME THE PIG"


	3. Ice-Ice-Lamby

It has been exactly three days since Pacifica last saw Dipper. She tried thinking of excuses to go downtown and look for him or head over the Mystery Tent once more, but Gideon, ruling this mission as a fail, refused to let her do anything involving the twins. He would always remind her of the day at school when the Mystery Twins made his pants fall in the middle of the cafeteria. God, she was so sick of hearing that story, but that was the only line of defense he had against her not going down to see him. Gideon and Pacifica spent the three days either eating at home or helping Bud out at the car dealership. Working at the dealership was not so bad, Pacifica made a friend the other day. His name was Robbie, he was 23 and dressed nice and happy for a boy living in a funeral home. Apparently, Gideon and Robbie meet last summer when Bud hired him, and the two became good friends. Robbie was sweeping the main floor while Pacifica and Gideon were washing the windows. It was a slow day maybe five people would come in every hour. Right now, Robbie was telling them a story about an old abandoned gas station just outside the main town.

"It's really old but apparently all the lights still work and there is food stocked on all the shelves," Robbie said to the cousins.

"That's so cool!" Pacifica responded in excitement.

"Right? I'm going to check it out right after work with my friends" Robbie said putting the broom in the closet then checking the clock, "so right now."

"Can we come with you," Gideon blurted out of nowhere.

"I don't know," Robbie replied hesitantly, "There is going to be drinking. How old did you guys say you were?"

"Were ninte-"

"20!" Gideon shouted interpreting Pacifica, "so almost 21 if you think about it." Robbie paused and thought for a minute then shrugged his shoulders.

"All right you guys can come," Robbie said. He picked up his coat and walked out the door to the van that just pulled up.

"Gideon we're not 20," Pacifica pointed out.

"I know, but relax it's going to be fine," Gideon said pushing the door open, "as long as he doesn't find out we should be all right, and who is going to tell him?"

"Um…. maybe your sworn enemy," Pacifica said as she nodded her head towards the two sharply dressed twins. Dipper and Mabel were leaning against the van door next to a tall redhead in a black sweatshirt and dark eyeliner. Pacifica tugged on Gideon's shirt to get his attention,

"Who is that?"

"Oh, that's Wendy Robbie's ex-girlfriend. Robbie and her are supposedly cool though, but I still don't trust her because she hangs out with the twins all the time," Gideon whispered to Pacifica as he walked them towards the group.

"Wendy, Dipper, Mabel, this is Gideon and Pacifica," Robbie said introducing the cousins to the group.

"Did you get stuck babysitting Robbie," Mabel asked with a smirk.

"Come on Mabel be cool they're almost 21," he said while rubbing the back of his neck. Mabel's eyes lit up at the lie she heard and turned towards Gideon and his cousin.

"Really," she said in a high-pitched voice, "well excuse me." The cousins looked at each other with worry on their face then crawled into the back of the car.

"What is she up to," Pacifica whispered.

"I have no idea, but she is going to ask for something when she gets us alone."

"The Journal."

"Most likely," Gideon said hugging his coat tighter, "just don't be alone with any of them." Pacifica nodded her head and sat back in her seat looking at the back of Dippers head. Her mind started to wonder what was going through his head now. Was he thinking about their almost kiss? Was his heart beating as fast as hers? Pacifica shook her head and looked out the window for the rest of the car trip.

After about 20 minutes of driving outside of town, they pulled up to a gate in front of an abandoned building. The gang stepped out of the car and stared in awe at the worn out ten-foot tall gate.

"This is it," Robbie said, "the infamous _Dusk to Dawn_."

"Wow," Pacifica said, "this is so cool!"

"How do we get in?" Gideon asked.

"We climb the gate duh," said Wendy as she began to ascend the gate. She made it all the way to the top and then jumped down to the other side. Pacifica caught a look of amazement on Dippers face and she felt herself clench her fist. _Wait am I jealous?_ She questioned herself, _no, no, no I am fine._ Pacifica shook her head and focused on watching Gideon climb over the wall. Next Robbie and then Dipper, until it was just her and Mabel. Pacifica went up first and all seemed well until she got up to the top and realized just how high she was.

"Pacifica, you okay?" Gideon shouted up to her. She nodded her head and took a deep breath.

"Um… yeah I'm fine," she said, "just didn't know how tall this gate was."

"Come on," Mabel said as she climbed up next to her, "your cousin did it, so can you." Mabel jumped down from the gate causing it to shake and for Pacifica to lose her balance on the top.

"Paz!" Gideon shouted as he froze in fear, just watching Pacifica tumble through the air. Pacifica closed her eyes and braced for the impact that never came. Instead, she felt strong arms wrapped around her and heard a small grunt as she has pulled in close to a warm body. Pacifica opened her eyes and was met with the brown eyes of the boy that takes her breath away, literally and figuratively. Dipper gently put her on the ground but still held tight to her arms making sure she was all right.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Pacifica had to remind herself what words were.

"Um… yeah…I'm okay," she said, "thank you." Dipper only nodded and let go of her arm. Gideon came rushing over to her and wrapped her in a big hug.

"Paz! Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine Gideon," she said, "let's just get to the store." Gideon nodded, and the duo walked together towards the entrance. Robbie and Wendy soon followed while the twins hung back.

"What the hell Dipper," Mabel said, "why are you trying to be her knight and shining armor?"

"I wasn't trying to do anything," he said in defense, "I saw her fall and I just reacted. You would have done the same thing for Gideon."

"That's not the point," Mabel said.

"Look just drop it okay," Dipper replied as he walked towards the store.

The group made it into the store without any problems, the glass was shattered just enough for Robbie to rich his hand in and unlock it from the inside. He then walked to the right and flipped on the lights, causing the whole store to come alive. It was like the whole thing was breathing once again, after ten years of deep sleep. Gideon and Pacifica walked up and down the aisles exploring the cans of food still on the shelves and the still frozen ice-cream machine.

"This is so cool," Pacifica said as she opened an ice cream bar, "it tastes so good!"

"Paz, I really don't think you should be eating a decade old ice cream bar, " Gideon said with disgust. He looked around and noticed Mabel was staring at them from down the aisle. "Paz, let's go Mabel is coming this way." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards the group. Robbie and Wendy were sitting on the top of a self-talking and drinking a beer while Dipper was talking to two more people that came in. Gideon explained that they were Robbie and Wendy's friends from back in high school.

"Hey Gideon," Robbie said waving him over. Gideon walked over leaving Pacifica alone to her thoughts. One of Robbie's friends noticed her standing by herself and decided to walk over and start a conversation. He introduced himself as Thompson and talked about how he became friends with the group. Pacifica laughed at the story of the time he tapped snacks to his body to sneak into a concert two summers ago. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Dipper kept looking over at them every time she laughed at something Thompson said,

"I'm not kidding. I took my shirt off whipped it around and made my own rave," Thompson said to her.

"Oh my god, why would you do that," Pacifica laughed, "it was a karaoke party."

"I needed their approval," he shrugged, then laughing along with her.

"Thompson, could you go get me another beer?" Dipper said appearing before the two. Thompson opened his mouth to argue against it but took one look at Dippers cold eyes before sulking off. Pacifica watched Thompson walk away then turned to look at the boy who scared him. She didn't even get a chance voice her opinion when he held a can out towards her,

"You didn't even need a beer," she said taking from his hand and opening it up.

"Nope I just wanted to talk to you," Dipper said outright, catching Pacifica off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing I just wanted to chat is that not okay?" Pacifica thought for a minute then shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess so, what you want to talk about?"

"I think we should talk about our 'date'." Pacifica blushed at the word, even if he used air quotes around it.

"What about it," she said like it was no big deal, taking a sip from the beer. Making a small face after tasting it.

"Well for one thing it ended in disappointment for me," he replied giving her a small smirk when he say her cheeks go red.

"Well we both know that we wanted something from one another," he replied. Pacifica froze at his words, making her face almost become a tomato. She immediately switched from embarrassment to worry when she then realized that she was alone with Dipper, as everyone else had moved to the front of the store to watch Thompson play DDR. Pacifica cursed under her breath finally remembering the rule Gideon told her. _He just wants the Journal. But then if that's true why is he here and not with Gideon?_

"What you are implying?" Pacifica asked taking another sip of her drink. She was begging to feel a little dizzy.

"I'm talking about the journal you and your cousin have in your possession." Pacifica felt she was falling to earth. Of course, he only wants the book, the date was just to get close to her.

"I don't know what you are talking about," anger was now the only emotion she felt, her face was still flushed from the alcohol.

"Look play dumb all you want Northwest," Dipper said stepping in front of her view of Gideon, "but I need something from you."

"Look Boy Wonder," she spat at him, "I am not giving you anything and neither is Gideon." Dipper noticed the change in her voice and from some reason he did not like it.

"I don't want anything from Gideon, it's you I am interested in."

"What?" That caught Pacifica off guard a little. She started to panic and the only thing she could think to do was run, so that's what she did. Pacifica brushed past Dipper and started to make her way back to the group. She got about two feet before someone grabbed her hand and held her in place.

"Let me go," Pacifica said trying to shake him off.

"We're not done talking," Dipper replied.

"Yes, you are," said another voice from behind them. Dipper lets go of Pacifica's hand and looked up to see Gideon behind her.

"This is not about you Gleeful," Dipper said with boredom.

"Yes, it is," Gideon said, "Pacifica is my cousin and she doesn't want to be near you." Dipper saw Mabel step closer to them to hear and he switched into his colder self. Pacifica gave him a quick once over realizing the change in his body language but didn't say anything.

"Look either you give me the journal, or I tell everyone that you're both underage," Dipper said with a sly smile.

"Go ahead," Pacifica said, "so what? They're going to stop having fun just to dive two 'teenagers' back into town?" she crossed her arms in satisfaction as she saw Dippers face form into a scowl. He did not expect her to be so forward, he was sure Gideon would at least be a little afraid.

"Thought so." Pacifica turned on her heels and went to join the rest of the group, standing specifically closer to Thompson when she arrived there. Dipper clenched his fist and shot a look at Gideon,

"You are in way over your head Gleeful, so just hand over the journal," he said again when he noticed Mabel in the corner of his eye.

"I don't even have it," Gideon replied. Before Dipper could reply a big laugh caused both of them turned their heads to the sound of Pacifica laughing at another one of Thompson's stories. Finally, Dipper lost it, his amulet glowed blue and caused cans of soup to fall off the shelf and hit Gideon in the back.

"Hey man!" Gideon shouted catching the attention of the group, "what the hell!" Another soup can come off, this time hitting him in the shoulder. Gideon looked up and saw that Dippers eyes had started to glow blue as well, it was like he was in a trance of some sort. _Why is the hell he acting like this? Because Pacifica laughed? Does he hate laughter?_ His thoughts were interrupted by another can to the shoulder.

"Knock it off," Gideon yelled and walked over and shoved Dipper the chest trying to snap him out of it. It worked but also forced Dipper to fall back onto a shelf behind him causing a domino effect on the two guys and trapping them in smoke and cans of soup.

"Gideon!"

"Dipper!" Someone shouted. Pacifica rushed over to the mess that was made and waited for the dust to clear before she started moving cans and shelf wood around.

"Gideon! Are you okay," she shouted to the lump of white hair on the ground.

"Yeah," _cough_ "yeah, I'm fine Paz," Gideon said sitting upright on the floor. Pacifica then looked over and the unmoving boy next to him.

"Dipper?" Pacifica said, "Dipper! Wake up!" She grabbed the boy by the back of his collar and flipped him over to see his face.

"Stop yelling Northwest," Dipper said while grabbing his head, "you're giving me a headache."

"Just what were you two thinking! What the hell is wrong with you," Pacifica shouted, completely ignoring his request.

"It wasn't mean Dipper started it," Gideon said in defense.

"Oh, that's real mature," Dipper said sitting upright, "blame the victim."

"The victim! You threw cans at me."

"And you crushed me under rubble."

"Did not!"

"Look for my dry-cleaning bill in the mail."

"Pines! What the hell!"

Before Dipper could respond the lights in the store started to flicker until they all went out at once.

"Pines was that you?" Gideon asked.

"No," Dipper replied looking confused. He shot a look at Mabel and she just shook her head as an indication it was not her either. Dipper and Gideon stood up and with Pacifica walked towards the center of the store with the rest of the gang.

"This is totally freaky," said Robbie.

"I don't like this at all," added Wendy. The group looked around for the exit and started to make their way over when suddenly Pacifica let out a scream.

"Pacifica!" Dipper and Gideon yelled. The lights came back on and everyone looked around worried. Fear stuck on their faces, Pacifica was gone.

"Where is she?" Thompson finally asked.

"Pacifica?" Gideon shouted, "Pacifica, where are you?"

"We need to leave now!" Mabel said pulling on Dippers arm.

"You can't leave! Pacifica is missing!" Gideon yelled

"I'm sure she saw a rat and ran out of the store," Mabel said as if it was no big deal.

"We didn't hear a door open or close though," one of Robbie's friend pointed out.

"Look-" Mabel started but stopped as soon as the lights went out. The group huddled closer together and waited for something to happen. Slowly a light formed in front of the exit, it shifted and moved until it took the form of what seemed like an old lady in an apron. She had curly white hair and wore huge glasses. She looked at the group of scared children in front of her and pointed her finger at Mabel.

"You," she said, "you want to leave? After you wrecked my store and ate my food?" Mabel just stared at her in shock and took a step closer to her brother.

"You can't leave," the ghost continued, "not till you pay for causing so much trouble!" Within seconds she swopped forward and snatched at Mabel, ripping her from her brother's arms and disappearing into the back of the store.

"Mabel!" Dipper called out and ran after her, the rest of the group following. However, when they turned a corner nothing was there. The lights flickered back on again and everyone stood around in shock.

"Okay so that just happened," Wendy said a little shaken.

"Lady! Come back here with Mabel," Dipper yelled into the air.

"My what a handsome boy," a voice said behind him. Dipper whipped his head around and saw the ghost floating above the shelves in the back.

"My sister, you old hag!"

"Oh my someone needs to teach you all a lesson," she said while raising her fists and throwing them forward sending light blue flames at the group. Everyone scattered in different directions trying to avoid getting burned. Dipper and Gideon ran the left, Wendy and Robbie to the right, Thompson and the rest tried to run back but fell and were hit by the flames. When it settled what lay in their place was only shoes. The ghost looked up and down trying to find the missing children. She still had to teach that one boy some manners.

"Okay I think we're safe," Gideon whispered out of breath. The two boys had hidden behind a turned over shelf that was out of view from the main entrance. Once they caught their breath Gideon turned to Dipper and asked,

"So, what now?"

"I don't know,"

"Can't you use your little glow magic thingy?" Gideon asked quietly.

"On her? Not without Mabel I'll be too weak at most I can form a shield, but not for long," Dipper responded. He helps his hand up before Gideon could say another word and turned his ear to listen. Before they knew it, the shelf was jerked away leaving them defenseless to the ghost lady in front of them.

"Oh my two boys," she said in shock, "why you look the same ages as my sons who use to work here!" Gideon and Dipper just looked at her then at each other trying to figure out what to do next.

"Your sons?" Gideon asked.

"Yes! Oh, they were so wonderful! They helped out around the store and would always dance to cheer me up when I was sad," she replied with a big smile on her face, "they would always come home and visit me, but then I got myself into an accident and now they don't come anymore." Her face shifted to one of loneliness and she almost seemed like she was going to cry. It only lasted for a second because she let out a sigh and seemed to pull herself together.

"No matter. I have new children to play and make me happy," she waved her hands and suddenly everyone appeared in front of Gideon and Dipper. They were floating in the air struggling at invisible hands around their necks.

"Time to have more," she said as she shot her fire at the two boys. Gideon braced for the heat, but it never came. He looked up to see Dipper in front of him forming a shield with his amulet.

"What?" the ghost said in shock.

"Sorry, but you can't have these kids to play with," Dipper said, "I can stop your powers without breaking a sweat and both Gideon and I can walk out unharmed."

"You wouldn't leave your friends though," she replied after recovering from her shock.

"You're right so how about a deal?" Dipper asked, "You let our friends go and Gideon and I will give you the thing you've wanted for a while." Gideon gave Dipper a look like he just spotted two heads. _What the hell was he talking about?_ Apparently, the ghost knew because her face lit up with excitement and she nodded her head.

"Deal! Oh, I am so excited! I missed this so much!" she shouted with joy.

"Dipper what the hell did you just agree to?" Gideon asked confused.

"We are going to give her happiness," Dipper responded. It only took a second for Gideon to piece it together and he was not liking this final picture, but what choice did he have.

"My one rule is that you have to dress up like my sons did," the ghost said.

"Listen-" Gideon started to say but he stopped when he saw the grip tighten on Pacifica's neck.

"Alright! Whatever you want!"

"Perfect!" the ghost waved her hand and their friends disappeared from the air, "you'll get them back after the dance." Another wave of her hand and Gideon and Dipper found themselves dressed from head to toe in a lamb costume.

"Oh my god," Gideon said, "I think I would have rather been captured."

"Shut up and dance," Dipper said through his teeth. Gideon sighed and looked up at the ghost lady. One thing for sure he was glad Pacifica wasn't here to see this.

"So, you punched the ghost...and she let us go," Pacifica said. Gideon and Dipper looked at each other then back at Pacifica.

"Yup," they said at the same time. No matter how much they hated each other they both silently agreed to take this to their graves with them.

"Okay…" Pacifica replied, still not believing that was the full story. Everyone was walking back to the car still confused about everything that happened.

"I need to go home and reevaluate everything in my life," Wendy said when they got back to their starting destination.

"Yeah," Robbie said, "hey I'll walk you home. See you guys at the dealership." Robbie said to the cousins as he waved goodbye. Gideon and Pacifica waved back then turned to the Pines twins still lurking around. They started at each other quietly until it just became awkward.

"Thanks for today," Pacifica said to Dipper breaking the silence, "I don't know what you and Gideon really did, but I know that you both saved us." Dipper gave a quick smile at her words then turned and shoved his sister in the shoulder.

"Ow," she said, "...thank you, Gideon," Mabel said a huff and then turned and walked away angrily.

"You're welcome!" he shouted, "let's go home, Paz." Pacifica nodded gave one look at Dipper and turned to leave. Dipper looked at the back of her head, a little disappointed that their time was ending. He turned around to leave and suddenly felt two small arms wrapped around his chest. A muffled voice came from his back,

"I'm glad you're okay." and then it was gone but left in its place was a paper with directions to a shack in the woods and a time and date. He smiled and shoved the paper in his pocket.


	4. Mystery (S)hack

_Tonight, was the night!_ Pacifica could not contain her excitement, even if she knew deep down, she should not be feeling this way. She checked herself over in the mirror one more time to make sure her sweater was on right and her hair was behaving in her ponytail. _Perfect! Now I just have to leave the house with no one asking me any question about where I am going. Easy Peasy._ Pacifica picked up her backpack and descended the stairs hoping Gideon was not waiting for her in the living room. She made it to the bottom and let out a relieved sigh when she noticed no one was there. She opened the door to leave and let out a squeak when Gideon was revealed to be behind it. He was holding a takeout bag of food in one hand and a milkshake in the other. He noticed that Pacifica had her backpack and checked the clock on the wall.

"Why are you going out at eight o'clock at night?" he asked sipping his milkshake.

"Um," she said trying to think of something, "I just wanted to go take a walk downtown."

"It's late you want me to come with?"

"No. It's fine I'll be back by midnight," she said, "just want to get some exercise in and stuff." Gideon looked at her a little suspicious, but he knew he could not stop her from doing what she wanted, she's Pacifica Elise Northwest for God's sake.

"Okay call me if you run into trouble," he said stepping past her and into the kitchen, "and be back before midnight so Bud doesn't worry."

"Yes, mom!" Pacifica called out as she closed the door behind her. She walked down the driveway took at left at the bottom, choosing to adventure into the darkness of the woods rather than the brightness of the town. By the time she got to the old run-down shack the sun had set and the only light in the forest was her flashlight and the fireflies. She walked up to the fallen door and stepped inside. She noticed that she was early and decided to pass the time by tidying up the place. She picked up fallen books and moved furniture around so that it was standing upright. Pacifica looked around for that photo she dropped but could not seem to locate it on the floor anywhere. Her guess was that it got blown away somewhere within the house. She stepped back outside and walked around the exterior of the building. On the roof where large letters that read 'Mystery hack', the S had fallen flat on its face and was just sitting on the roof.

"I wonder if I can climb up there and fix the letter?" Pacifica thought out loud.

"Please don't," a voice said from behind her, "I don't think I can keep catching you all the time." Pacifica spun around to see Dipper, finally dressed in some casual clothes.

"No cape today?" Pacifica asked with a smile.

"It's in the wash," he replied with a returning smile.

"But chicks love the cape."

"Oh, so you're finally agreeing with me?" Pacifica let out a laugh and then pointed to the bag in his hand.

"I hope that's food in there and not your supplies to murder me," she said stepping closer to him and reaching out for the bag. Dipper chuckled and then placed the bag in her hands, watching her face light up when she saw the logo from Lazy Susan's Dinner.

"I thought you might be hungry since it's kind of late," Dipper said, running his hands through his hair and looking away.

"Thanks, Wonder Boy." Pacifica sat down on the porch area and opened up the bag with delight. She pulled out a slice of pie and a fork and immediately started eating it. Dipper sat down beside her and just enjoyed watching her make a mess all over herself.

"I thought I was Boy Wonder?" Dipper asked.

"Aren't they the same thing?" she replied in between bites of pie. She held a piece out for Dipper to take, but all he did was stare at her. Pacifica grew a little self-conscious under his gaze. _Did I eat to fast? Does he think I am a slop now? Ugh, way to go Pacifica._

"What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?" Pacifica reached up to touch her face and feel around for some crumbs, only stopping herself when she heard a laugh come from the boy sitting next to her. She felt her face getting hot and looked out into the darkness. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

"Why did you invite me here?' Dipper asked breaking their silence. Pacifica made her thinking face then shrugged her shoulders.

"Honestly," Pacifica said, still looking out into the darkness, "I don't know. You said you wanted to talk, and I wanted to too I guess."

"Really?" Dipper was a little shocked by her answer, well shocked and mostly excited, "um well I'm glad we got to meet up. What is this place anyway?"

"I'm not sure? I found it after I chased a goat eating my sweater. There are some furniture and books inside, but I haven't had a chance to truly explore it yet."

"Is that why I'm here?"

"Yeah. I need someone to kill all the bugs for me," Pacifica said standing up and turning to face him, "you up for an adventure?" Dipper smiled and stood up to follow Pacifica inside the shack. They walked around the first part of the house shining their flashlights at all the books and trinkets lying around. There were hats, shirts, stones, postcards, it looked like...

"A tourist traps?" Pacifica questioned picking up a snow globe and shaking it, causing the glitter and fake snow to swirl around, what looked like the building they were in. Dipper picked up a hat with a pine tree on it and tried it on in the mirror.

"You think it went out of business?" Dipper asked while putting the hat back on the shelf.

"If it was like that wouldn't someone have bought the place? It seems like something flat-out destroyed it," Pacifica responded. They walked past the 'Staff Only' sign and into a living room. The chair was overturned, and the TV smashed. In the fish tank, there was, what seemed to be a mermaid skeleton. Pacifica walked over to it and tapped on the glass acting as if it would spring to life any second. Dipper came over to stand closer to her, reminding himself that he had to connect with her on some level…. for the mission of course.

"I guess things did not end swimmingly for her," Dipper said, then immediately regretted. _OMG, What on earth was that joke! You have been hanging out with Soos to much._ His thoughts were interrupted by Pacifica's giggle, _at least it wasn't a total failure. I mean that giggle was kind of cute though…_

"Please don't quit your magic show," Pacifica teased.

"Yeah," Dipper said shaking his head, "that just slipped out. Trust me it won't happen again."

"If you quit that would be… shellfish of you," Pacifica said not looking up from the mermaid tank.

"Did you just?"

"Maybe." As Pacifica walked away with a small smile on her face Dipper realized he was in trouble. Unfortunately, he was falling for a Northwest and Mabel was not going to like that one bit.

"Shit," Pacifica yelled as she dropped a book on her foot. She was rummaging through the top shelf of the bookcase back in the main part when it slipped from her hands.

"You okay?" Dipper called from the kitchen.

"Yeah," Pacifica replied picking up the book and putting it back on the shelf, "just looking around." She started her way back to the kitchen when she felt a crinkling under her foot. When she looked down, she saw it was that old photo of Bud and two other men, whose face had been removed from the picture. Pacifica picked it up to exam it one more time, trying to figure out who the other face could be. She opened her mouth to call for Dipper when a _THUD_ sound came from the side of the house.

"Pacifica was that you again?" Dipper called.

"No," she responded, "it came from outside. I think it must be an animal."

 _THUD_

"A really big animal."

Dipper walked over to Pacifica as another _THUD_ was heard, this time it shook the whole house like a level 3 earthquake. Dipper and Pacifica looked at one another before then ran outside to see what was causing all the commotion.

"What the hell is that!" Pacifica shouted when they turned the corner to see a muscular, green skin, red-eyed monster destroying everything around the shack. Dipper grabbed Pacifica's hand and pulled her behind a turned over picnic table.

"Did you see that thing!" Pacifica whispered-yelled, "what on earth could it be!"

"I have no idea, but we should probably get out of here," Dipper responded peering around the table to see where the creature was. It had walked into the house, but they could still hear all the crashing and banging that was going on inside.

"Dipper it's destroying that house. We have to do something," Pacifica said as she whipped her backpack around and started to rummage through it.

"What?" Dipper said in confusion, "let it destroy that old thing. We need to leave now while we have a chance." He turned back around to face Pacifica in order to grab her hand and run again, but her hands were occupied with a book now, correction a journal. _It's here! She brought it!_ Pacifica was already flipping through pages when he snapped out of his haze. "What are you doing?" he asked as he tried to lean in closer to get a better look. Pacifica, biting her fingernail on the thumb, did not even glace up to the question. She turned the pages at 90 mph trying to catch a glimpse of something that would help. In the distance, she heard a muffled song… "I'm the singing salmon, spending all day jamming" on repeat.

"What on hell?" Dipped asked turning his attention away from the journal. Pacifica let out a gasp, which brought his attention back.

"I found something," she said as she held up the page to show him what looked like a sketch of the beast inside the shack. "It's a Gremloblin. 'The Gremloblin has an assortment of unique abilities, notably the power to make others visualize their worst nightmare, which may result in the victim going insane upon eye contact.' So not a friendly person."

"Okay, and how do we get rid of it?" Dipper asked.

"There is something about throwing water on it written here…" Pacifica started to read when she shot her head up to listen for something. "Do you hear that?"

"What? I do not hear anything."

"Exactly. What happened to the singing salmon?" Pacifica and Dipper slowly brought their heads around the table to see that the Gremloblin was now standing in the doorway of the house. It seemed to have heard them but had not yet spotted them as its ears were twitching and twerking trying to pick up on their sound.

"You said water defeats it?" Dipper whispered as he reached inside Pacifica's backpack to pull out her water bottle.

"Wait, I don't know it just mentioned water but let me -" By the time Pacifica started reading it was too late. Dipper had launched the water bottle from their hiding place and used his amulet to explode it on the monster's head. The Gremloblin let out a scream and tried to shake the water off him.

"What the hell man!" Pacifica screamed, "I said let me finish! 'water should only be used as a last resort when fighting the creature, as it will make it stronger and scarier' you idiot!"

"It's not my fault who words something like that!"

"I don't know I didn't write the fucking thing!"

"What do we do now!"

"Run" Dipper and Pacifica took off into the woods trying to evade the monster that was swiftly following after them. They jumped over rocks and trees, but unfortunately, the animal kept on their trail.

"Look a clearing!" Dipper yelled. They pushed their way to the edge only to find…

"It's the shack!" Pacifica yelled catching her breath, "we ran in a circle!"

RAWWWWWWW

Dipper and Pacifica screamed and started to run towards the house, unfortunately, Pacifica tripped over a broken sign on the ground.

"Ow," she said rubbing her ankle. She pulled herself up and got ready to run inside when she felt something wrap around her waist and squeeze her like a stress ball. "Dipper!"

"Pacifica!" Dipper yelled from the threshold of the house, "let her go!" He picked up a boulder and got ready to aim it at the Gremloblin, but Pacifica was in his way. "Don't look into his eyes!" However, poor Pacifica did not hear him because she was too busy trying to squirm her way out of the beast's hand. Without thinking she turned her head towards the monster in order to cuss him out but was meet with yellow eyes instead.

"Dipper help!" was the last thing she said before her eyes became the color that matched the Gremloblin and she was put into a trance. Dipper could not wait any longer he threw the rock at the beast with all his might causing him to flinch and drop Pacifica into a bush. Dipper ran towards her to try and see her condition but the Gremloblin had recovered. He swiped at Dipper trying to catch him, but Dipper was too fast. He rolled to the side and landed by Pacifica's backpack, looking inside he noticed something shiny. As the Gremloblin reached for Dipper he stretched his hand into the backpack to grab the item. The beast took hold of him by his shirt and lifted him into the air. He turned Dipper around to face him ready to show this boy what he was most afraid of when he was meet with yellow eyes instead. Yellow eyes? His yellow eyes? What? Dipper was holding a small mirror in front of his face turning the tables on the Gremloblin causing it to see its worst nightmare. The monster dropped Dipper on the ground like a hot potato and screamed, "No! You've become your father!" He then covered his eyes and ran back into the woods crying. Dipper really wanted to sit there and try to process what happened but there was an 80's sweater girl in a bush somewhere, so it was going to have to wait.

"Pacifica," he said as he ran over to the blonde in the bush. She did not respond to him which made him start to panic. He shook her as gently as you can shake a person with a possible head concussion, called her name over and over again until she finally opened her eyes. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw brown eyes staring back at her.

"Dipper?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"Yeah it's me," he said with a sigh of relief, "I'm so glad you're okay!" Dipper than wrapped his arms around her and held her as tight as she could.

"It's really you?" Pacifica asked, "you are real?"

"Yes, I'm really," he responded. Pacifica wrapped her arms around him in return and started to cry.

"You're here, you're real, don't leave me," she repeated over and over again. Dipper just held on to her even tighter trying to calm the shaking and crying girl as best he could. She had after all seen her worst fear, and he could not imagine what that must have been like. After ten minutes Pacifica's cries started to die down and she was shaking less. When she finally stopped, she pulled apart from Dipper and hugged her knees instead of him feeling weak and tired.

"Come on it's almost one in the morning," Dipper said, "let's get you home." Pacifica did not move an inch. Just staying curled up in her ball, sniffling to herself. Dipper said and bent down to pick her up. "At least let's get out of this bush." He held her to his chest and carried her to the steps of the Mystery Shack placing her down on the front steps against the wall. Then he sat down next to her and wrapped one arm around her. "Want to tell me what you saw?" he asked after a minute. Pacifica responded by shaking her head and holding tighter onto her legs. They sat in silence for another ten minutes, then Pacifica uncurled herself from the ball, stood up, went inside the shack, and came out holding a picture. She handed it to Dipper as he sat there on the steps.

"This is why I didn't want to let it destroy everything," Pacifica said in a soft voice, "that's my Uncle Bud with two guys I have never seen before. Clearly, he has been in this place before, so I wanted to find some clues." Dipper looked at the picture not saying anything. He couldn't make the faces out of the two people on the side of Bud since they seemed to be burnt off, but one was clearly holding a cane with an 8-ball on top and the other was wearing a long trench coat with a space gun picking out from under it. Both objects seemed to be familiar to him, but he could not understand why. When he looked up again to ask Pacifica where she found this, he noticed she was gone, and so was the journal. Dipper sighed and sat up from the ground, putting the picture into his back pocket and walking in the direction of his home.


End file.
